Rutgers Tree Fruit Breeding program, spearheaded by Dr. Joseph Gofredda, continues to release new varieties, giving growers more options to choose from. Five new and exciting Peach and Nectarine varieties were developed after extensive multi-year evaluations at several location in New Jersey, representing different agro-climates. Additionally, three-year post-harvest evaluations of fruit quality were performed at Pomology Lab at Rutgers Agriculture Research and Extension Center (RAREC) in Bridgeton. Fruit and tree characteristics of these new peach and nectarine varieties are described below. [Read more…]
October 31, 2018 Hemant Gohil
Time to Hill-Up your Grapevines is NOW!
Winter injury is a crucial limiting factor to wine grape production in the New Jersey. Following the harsh winter of 2013-14, almost 85% of vineyards reported various degrees of cold damage. Often, the cold injury results in the development of Crown gall disease, which causes gall formation around the trunk and graft unions, which can lead to vine decline or death. One particularly useful way to reduce winter injury is to protect the graft union from the cold by covering, or Hilling-up, the base of the vines with soil to protect the graft union. Right time to hill-up is after the harvest and before the ground is hard frozen – that is now!
Factsheet 1264 https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1264/ details the following important aspects of hilling-up to protect the graft union from cold damage.
- The principle of Hilling-up – How the soil works, both as a thermal mass that holds the heat and insulator that slows heat loss.
- How to perform effective hilling-up using available and specialized implements.
- Cost benefits of using the implements.
- Challenges such as, timing, preventing damage to the drip lines and to trunks during hilling-up; and how to address those challenges.
- The process of hilling down in the spring to prevent root formation above the graft union and proper weed management.
May 31, 2018 Michelle Infante-Casella
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County Has New Office Location
County Agricultural Agents, Michelle Infante-Casella and Hemant Gohil have a new office location in Gloucester County. The Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Office in Gloucester County relocated last week. The new location is now at the Shady Lane County Complex, 254 County House Road, Clarksboro, NJ 08020. The entrance is on the right side of the main 3-story brick building, under the numbers 254; follow the sidewalk with gray brick pavers.
Entrance to the RCE of Gloucester County Offices down the sidewalk on the right.
The office also has a new phone number and Agricultural Agents and other staff can be reached at 856-224-8040 (Agriculture and Natural Resources is extension 1). This new complex provided by Gloucester County offers more office space and multiple options for educational programs. To the left side of the complex is a 4-classroom building, formerly the Gloucester County Fire Academy, that is now operated by Rowan College of Gloucester County, that can be utilized for extension education and other county-related events. The main office building has 3 conference rooms for small group meetings. RCE will still have access to the main auditorium at the former facility in Clayton. For more information about Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County see http://gloucester.njaes.rutgers.edu.
April 20, 2018 Megan Muehlbauer
North Jersey Fruit Twilight Meeting May 3, 2018
Sponsored by Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County
Date: May 3, 2018
Location: Donaldson Farms
358 Allen Road
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Light Dinner for those who RSVP by May 1, 2018 to (908) 788-1339
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
5:00 pm Welcome/Introduction to Greg Donaldson and Donaldson Farms
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, RCE of Hunterdon County
5:05 pm Farm Tour – Tour will include high density apple planting, mature peach planting, strawberry planting and a brief overview of Greg’s extensive agro tourism operation
5:50 pm Mechanized Hand Held Peach Blossom and Fruit Thinning
Hemant Gohil PhD, RCE of Gloucester
6:00 pm Early Spring Updates from the Rutgers IPM Program
Dean Polk, State Wide IPM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
6:15 pm Early Spring Disease Updates and Prevention
Norm Lalancette PhD, Specialist in Tree Fruit Plant Pathology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
6:30 pm Strawberry Production Updates
Peter Nitzsche, RCE of Morris County
6:45 pm Early Spring Tree Fruit Insect Updates
Anne Nielsen PhD, Specialist in Tree Fruit Entomology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
7:00 pm WPS Updates
Pat Hastings, Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator, NJAES
7:15 pm Use of the NEWA Model and Equilifruit Disc for Early Apple Thinning
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, RCE of Hunterdon County
7:00 pm Adjourn
ANTICIPATED PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS
March 16, 2018 Hemant Gohil
Save the Date
South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – I
5 – 7:30 pm, April 4
@ Gloucester County Extension Office, 1200 N. Delsea Drive, Bldg. # A, Clayton, NJ 08312
Detailed program flyer available at: South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight – I
Pesticide re-certification credits – CORE (2), 1A (4), PP2 (4) and 10 (4)
Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-307-6450 ex.1 if you are planning to attend.
For any question contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-307-6450 Ext 1 prior to the meeting.
February 5, 2018 Hemant Gohil
South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Growers Meeting
2018 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Growers Meeting Program
Date: February 15, 2018 (8:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ
Pre-Registration: Required, by February 11th, contact: Susan Bradbury (bradbury@njaes.rutgers.edu)
(856) 455-3100 x4101 or Karen Holton (holton@njaes.rutgers.edu) (856) 455-3100 x4104
Cost / person: $15.00 (checks preferred, made out to Rutgers University), lunch Included
Pesticide Credits Category: Core (2); 10 (6); 1A (07); 3A (07); 3B (01); & PP2 (07). [Read more…]
